Chapter Eleven:

Kael’s POV

"She's not on pack territory." The words hit me like a blade to the chest. I stare at the tracker kneeling in front of me. His head is bowed. His voice is steady, but I can smell his fear. "Explain." "We followed her scent to the eastern border, Alpha." He swallows hard. "It stops at the river. They took her across." Across, outside my territory, outside my protection.

My hands shake. I curl them into fists to hide it. "Which pack?" The tracker hesitates. "Answer me." "We don't know for certain." He finally looks up. "But the scent... it matches wolves from the Shadow Ridge pack." Shadow Ridge.

The name burns through me like poison. I know that pack. I know their Alpha. A man named Viktor who has been waiting years for a reason to challenge me, and now he has one. He has her.

"How many wolves crossed?" "At least six. Maybe more." Six wolves. Against one untrained girl who can't even shift. The thought makes something inside me crack.

"Alpha." Marcus steps forward from somewhere behind me. "If Shadow Ridge has her, we need to be careful. Viktor won't—"

"Careful?" I turn on him. "They took her from inside our walls. While we were distracted by a border attack that was probably designed to pull me away from her."

Marcus doesn't flinch. "Which is exactly why we need to think before we act." "Think?" I laugh, but there's no humor in it. "Every second we waste thinking is a second she's alone with them." "And every second you spend rushing in without a plan is a second closer to getting her killed."

The words land hard. I want to argue. I want to tear through the forest and find her. I want to rip apart anyone who touched her, but Marcus is right. I hate that he's right. "What do you suggest?" The question comes out sharp. Bitter.

Marcus moves closer. His voice drops so only I can hear.

"Viktor won't kill her. Not yet. She's too valuable."

"Valuable how?" "The prophecy." His golden eyes hold mine. "If Viktor knows what she is, he'll want to use her. Control her. He won't destroy something that powerful."

The word control makes my vision blur with rage. "So we're supposed to wait while he—" "We're supposed to be smart." Marcus cuts me off. "Send scouts. Gather information. Find out exactly where they're holding her and how many wolves are guarding her." "And then?"

"Then we get her back." His jaw tightens. "Whatever it takes." I stare at him for a long moment. I don't trust him. Not completely. Not after everything I've learned about why he really brought Serena here. but right now, he's the only one making sense.

And Serena needs me to think clearly. "Send the scouts," I say finally. "I want answers within two hours."

Marcus nods and turns away. I watch him go. Then I walk outside alone. The night air is cold against my skin. I stand at the edge of the garden. The same spot where I left her. The same spot where I touched her face and almost forgot every reason I should stay away. The bond aches inside me. Constant. Demanding.

She's alive. I know that much. If she were dead, I would feel it. The bond would shatter, but she's afraid. I feel that too. And I can't reach her. "You're going to wear a hole in the ground." I don't turn around.

Maya steps up beside me. She doesn't speak again. Just stands there, waiting. "I should have stayed with her," I say quietly. "You couldn't have known." "I knew she was in danger. I knew someone inside this house wanted her dead." My voice hardens. "And I still left her alone."

Maya is quiet for a moment. "Blaming yourself won't bring her back." "Nothing I'm doing is bringing her back." "Not yet." She turns to face me. "But you will. I've known you my entire life, Kael. When you decide something matters, you don't stop until you have it."

I look at her. "You think she matters to me?" "I think she's the only thing that matters to you right now." Her voice softens. "And that terrifies you more than Viktor ever could." I don't answer. Because she's right.

Serena terrifies me. Not because of the prophecy. Not because of what she might become. Because of what I feel when I'm near her, because of how empty everything feels when she's gone. "The full moon is in eleven days," Maya says quietly. "If the bond isn't sealed by then—" "I know."

"Do you?" She steps closer. "Because Marcus told me what happens if it stays incomplete. The instability. The madness. You'll both—" "I said I know." She stops. I close my eyes. Take a breath. "I'm going to find her," I say. "Before the full moon. Before Viktor can use her. Before any of it." "And if you can't?"

I open my eyes. "Then I'll burn Shadow Ridge to the ground." Time moves strangely in the dark. I don't know how long I've been here. Hours. Maybe longer. My wrists are raw from pulling at the ropes. My throat is dry. My head still pounds from whatever they used to knock me out, but I'm alive.

That has to count for something. The door opens. Light floods in. I squint against it. A figure steps through. Different from before. Shorter. Broader. A woman. She moves toward me slowly. Her footsteps echo off the stone walls. When she gets close enough, I see her face. Sharp features. Dark hair pulled back tight. Eyes that are pale and cold. She studies me like I'm something under a microscope. "So you're the Silverborne heir." Her voice is flat. Unimpressed. "I expected more." "Sorry to disappoint." She doesn't smile.

"Viktor thinks you're valuable." She crouches in front of me. "Personally, I think you're a liability. A half-trained pup who doesn't even know what she is." "Then let me go." She laughs. Short and harsh.

"I don't make those decisions." She stands. "But I will say this, if you try to escape, I'll be the one who catches you. And I won't be gentle." She turns and walks back toward the door. "Wait." She pauses but doesn't turn around.

"Why does Viktor want me?" She glances over her shoulder. "Because of what happens when the full moon rises." Her lips curve slightly. "Because of what you can do. Even if you don't know it yet." "What can I do?" She opens the door. "You'll find out soon enough."

The door slams shut, darkness again. I sit there, heart pounding, mind racing. What you can do. Even if you don't know it yet. Everyone keeps talking about this power inside me. This prophecy. This bloodline. But I don't feel powerful. I feel scared. Alone. Helpless. The bond tugs at my chest. Faint but steady.

Kael. I close my eyes and focus on that thread. That invisible connection between us. He's out there. I know he is. I just have to hold on. Hold on until he finds me, hold on until. A sound cuts through the silence. Footsteps. More than one set. Voices. Low and urgent.

Then the door bursts open. Two wolves drag someone inside and throw them to the ground beside me. I scramble back as far as the ropes allow. The person on the floor groans. Lifts their head slowly. My blood turns to ice. I know that face. Bruised. Bloodied. But unmistakable.

"Maya?" She coughs. Spits blood onto the stone floor. Then she looks at me with eyes full of fear and something worse. Guilt.

"Serena," her voice cracks. "I'm so sorry." The wolves step back and slam the door. I stare at her. "What are you doing here?" She doesn't answer. Instead, she looks away, and in that moment, I understand.

This wasn't random. She didn't get caught by accident. Someone told them where to find her. The same way someone told them where to find me. My chest tightens.

"Maya," my voice shakes. "What did you do?" She still won't look at me. When she finally speaks, her voice is barely a whisper. I didn't have a choice."